There are known continuous horizontal metal casting methods and plants for performing such methods (see, for example, "Continuous Casting" by M. V. Tchukhrov and I. V. Vyatkin, in Russian, Metallurgiya Publishers, Moscow, 1968; "Horizontal Continuous Casting of Non-Ferrous Metals and Alloys" by O. A. Shatagin, V. T. Sladkosheev et al., in Russian Metallurgiya Publishers, Moscow, 1974, pp. 22-46) wherein the division or separation of continuously cast ingots into portions of the predetermined length is performed by one of the conventional techniques, such as gas-cutting, cutting with disc saws, cutting with shears, and so on.
There are also known plants (cf. "Continuous Casting" by E. Hermann, Metallurgiya Publishers, Moscow, 1961, FIG. 488 in p. 168, FIG. 495 in p. 170, FIG. 582 in p. 200) for performing a method of horizontal continuous casting of metals, comprising a vessel adapted to contain a supply of the metal to be cast, an open-ended mold, means for connecting the mold to the vessel for the metal to be cast, a secondary cooling zone arrangement including a mechanism for drawing the ingot from the mold, an apparatus for severing or dividing the ingot into portions of a specified predetermined length by either disc saws or shears.
The use of disc saws for gas-cutting the continuously cast ingot into predetermined specified lengths as a part of a horizontal continuous metal casting technology involves the waste of metal and brings about the necessity of removing cuttings and scale, whereas the use of shears for cutting ingots results in a reduced time factor of the employment of the costly mechanical equipment.
There is known a method (cf. SU Inventor's Certificate No. 265,385; Int. Cl. B 22 d 11/00) of continuous casting of metals, including forming an ingot in the primary and secondary cooling zones and periodically drawing the ingot from the open-ended mold through a drawing step approximating the length of the mold. During the intervals between the successive cycles of drawing the ingot from the mold, under pressure and in molten metal, the skin or shell of the ingot is formed in the primary cooling zone. Then the ingot is finally formed in the secondary cooling zone and divided into portions of the specified predetermined length.
The forming of the ingot is conducted in accordance with this known method so that any discontinuity of the surface of the ingot, e.g. transverse cracks, should be avoided.
The known method does not offer any specific features of dividing the continuously cast ingot into the portions of the specified predetermined length as compared to those known heretofore; it is devoid of operations concerned with preparing the cast ingot to its efficient division into the portions of the specified predetermined length in correspondence with the step of drawing the ingot from the mold.
The plant for continuous casting of metals of the prior art (cf. "Horizontal Continuous Casting of Non-Ferrous Metals" by O. A. Shatagin, V. T. Sladkosheev, in Russian, Metallurgiya Publishers, Moscow, 1974, FIGS. 14-16, pages 42-44) comprises a vessel for the metal to be cast, connected with a mixer, as open-ended mold and means for connecting the vessel with the mold, including communicating channels. The vertical channel has the vessel connected thereto, while the horizontal channel is connected with the cooled mold through a sleeve made either of an asbestos-cement composition, or of stainless steel. Arranged successively behind the mold are the secondary cooling apparatus, a mechanism for drawing the ingot from the open-ended mold and flying shears for severing the continuously cast ingot into predetermined standard lengths.
The plant is devoid of elements and assemblies which could, with the ingot being periodically drawn from the open-ended mold in the primary and secondary cooling zones, prepare the continuously cast ingot for efficient and waste-free division into predetermined standard lengths, with moderate capital investment into facilities for such division.
The plant of the prior art would not provide facilities for forming an ingot in accordance with the herein disclosed method.